Thursday, December 23, 2010

By KJ Howe

Christmas Eve. A special time of year for many people across the globe--a day full of holiday traditions. Yet, everyone has a different idea of what is magical and meaningful, and this is what puts a personal stamp on your holiday. The Bandits would love to hear about what you have planned for today.

Will you be:

decorating the tree?

singing carols?

visiting church?

playing in the snow?

opening presents?

drinking eggnog?

visiting family?

Please share your Christmas Eve traditions with us...and we'll surprise the person with the most interesting/fun traditions with a special gift!

I'd also like to take this time to thank you all for the wonderful warmth and kindness shown in the lair. It's amazing to have a special place to share our common love of writing and reading! Happy Holidays to All!

It's FINALLY here! The Romance Bandits 12 Days of Christmas Booty. Every day between now and Christmas, one lucky commenter per day will win a daily prize and on some days, additional goodies from that day's blogging Bandita or guest. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we'll give away more booty including autographed books, GR mugs and much more! Come join us! Tell your friends! Let's make the Season BRIGHT!

Hooray, LilMissMolly! You'll have the GR for company today! ;) We don't have any Christmas Eve traditions set in stone, but this year, we'll be celebrating with my side of the family--a big meal of some kind is traditional (this year, it's Chinese) and we may let the kids open some gifts :)

As I type this it is 4-20pm Christmas Eve here in Australia and I have had a busy day getting the last of the food shopping done I have cooked the pork and the turkey is ready to go into the oven (I always cook the meat on Christmas Eve and do the vegies and gravy on Christmas Day). We always have our best friends Barbara and Doug come to our place in the evening and we have a few drinks and some nibblies while watching the big Carols By Candelight telecast on the TV from Melbourne and we chat and sing along. The tree is decorated and the presents are wrapped ready to be put under the tree later tonight. When all the family is here in the morning we will open our presents.That is our traditions on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas everyone have a wonderful time filled with lots of love and fun. And thank you all for an awesome year.

For some 25+ years, we have taken part in the parish caroling ses-sion and Midnight Mass on Christ-mas Eve. This year, Honey will bein the congregation and I willcontinue the family tradition.I love participating in this ministry. but the voice is going"wobbly" so it may be my lastMidnight Mass! Merry Christmas!

Enjoy GR LilMissMolly .... he will enjoy the yummy snack foods and unwrapping the presents.

As Helen said DH and I go to there to watch the Carols by Candlelight on TV. It started when Helen's children were little and some of the presents needed putting together. DH would help Helen's DH put them together. It has become a tradition now even though there are no more presents to fix. We have been doing it for almost 30 years.

The tree was decorated yesterday and I'll listen the carols they sing in the radio. I won't be visiting church. It's a bit too far if you don't have a car.Playing in the snow? When there's -30 Celcius outside? Are you kidding? And I'll be opening some presents and watch the declaration of Christmas peace:The Declaration of Christmas Peacehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m_mZdt4dc0

"Tomorrow, God willing, is the most gracious feast of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, and therefore a general Christmas peace is hereby declared, and all persons are directed to observe this holiday with due reverence and otherwise quietly and peacefully to conduct themselves, for whosoever breaks this peace and disturbs the Christmas holiday by any unlawful or improper conduct shall be liable, under aggravating circumstances, to whatever penalty is prescribed by law and decree for each particular offence or misdemeanour. Finally, all citizens are wished a joyous Christmas holiday."

We're having the entire family over, three full tables. My brohter in law is dressing up as Santa for the little ones and I bought a little Flipcam to record it. Lots of food and I'm making tiramisu right now for dessert. We always have a lively gift exchange. Not doing anything on Christmas which is a good thing because I'll be exhausted and washing loads of stemware.Fedora...are you having sticky rice? Congrats on the GR, Molly! Happy Holidays!

Good Golly Miss Molly - Looks like you'll have company for your Christmas Eve.

I'll be cleaning today - getting the house ready for company tomorrow (nothing like waiting for the last minute!). My daughter and I will be cooking up a storm, trying to get everything done before Saturday so we can kick back and enjoy the day and company.

Well my plans for today include shopping, cooking, and spending time with my family. My family always has a big buffet dinner where we all bring our own dishes to share with everyone and then we open presents. It is such a great time because everyone is getting along together and noone is fighting. Afterwards, when I get home I turn the television on to watch A Christmas Story and it stays on that until the marathon is over.

Usually we take candles to the graves, but since no who has a car is spending Christmas here, we have to skip that. And before opening the presents and eating the Christmas meal we of course go to sauna. But I could live without this Christmas tradition: power cuts, caused by falling trees and heavy snow or storms that make those trees fall.

I never seen carolers. Guess it's harder for them to knock on all the apartments in a building. I am excited that we'll be opening presents at midnight. I used to leave cookies out for Santa, but I haven't done that in years. We wanted to over St. Patrick's Cathedral one year, but I think it's pretty hard to get a seat for Midnight Mass.

Traditionally on Xmas Eve? Working today. Church tonight. Check out city Christmas lights on way back. Stop at neighbour's place for annual party. Home before 9:30.

This year I still have wrapping to do somewhere in there. As a friend emailed me recently, "I can sleep when I'm dead" and another friend emailed me, "sleeping is overrated." Do you see a recurring theme here?

For the past 10 years we have gone to a neighbor's home for a party. This year, he's working (a pilot) so they had the party last night. I really struggled with what we would do on Christmas Eve. So, after a late afternoon church service, we'll come home and have a nice dinner. After that we'll probably watch The Christmas Story.

Tomorrow is our big family gathering, so I'll be cooking today. Lots of traditions are involved in the cooking though. I'll use my mother's and my grandmothers' recipes as I bake pecan pies, lemon cake, and banana pudding. I made a huge tub of chicken salad yesterday, and I'll put a pot of vegetable soup on to simmer later today. My mother started that tradition after we were all grown. Family would arrive from noon to midnight, and it was impossible to plan dinner. So she made chicken salad for sandwiches to go with homemade soup, and people ate when they chose.

We won't have a house full of overnight guests as my parents did, but family members who live in town will be dropping by before and after church services to eat and to remember Christmases past.

Kirsten, your evening sounds lovely. It's those intimate moments that are unforgettable. Spending time with loved ones is the best. l I'm going to snowshoe with my husband, so I can burn off a few calories before a decadent meal. :)

Hi KJ! Today I will be baking up a storm and I still have to run out and find a few things for my hubby. I know I am so far behind, but all three of my kids and I all got sick in the last two weeks so things have been crazy! Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve!!!

I love hearing the various Christmas Eve traditions. While I was growing up, my family always opened one gift on Christmas Eve (a family gift since Santa hadn't arrived yet, of course).

In years past I always had my Christmas dinner on the 24th to accommodate the other side of the family. Now we have a Robertson Family Bowling event where we give out prizes for the winning and losing family teams. The grandkids love it. If everyone is able to make it we have 27 people so we use lots of lanes!

no xmas eve traditions in my family. think when young my parents just wanted us to get to bed so santa could visit and get some sleep too :) when we got older, mom would make us help santa put out presents (but not our own) & send us off to bed so she could get some sleep :)

I wouldn't call it tradition but today, I'm making a bookstore run with perhaps, a sidetrip to acquire US11 knitting needles and I also have to hit up a take-out place to pick up two dishes for The Big Family Potluck this evening, all the while, madly crocheting some cat toys...not necessarily in that order. And then there's The Big Family Potluck dinner where, rumour has it, my Great Aunt Betty is going narrate a slideshow of her recent trip to China...oh and if it's like most other previous Christmas Eve Big Family Potlucks, there potentially will be stocking stuffers from Santa *coughGreatAuntMarycough*

I finished the baking in the wee hours of the night so today is the day we usually sit around and just enjoy.

My best guy and I will sit around listening to carols, enjoy a few drinks, and reminisce about Christmas' past and our plans for the future. We usually start our goal list for the upcoming year as well.

We've just returned from a birthday lunch with my fab nephew and the rest of my sister's family and settling down to a glass of wine, some Christmas music and enjoying our Christmas lights before tomorrow's big lunch. The presents are all under the tree, the candles are lit and the baking is all done.

Our Christmas eve tradition is all the kids get to open a present. Obviously its not one of Santa's gifts because he hasn't arrived yet :) Its usually a present from a relative.But we make sure its a toy.Then for the rest of the evening they are occupied :)

Silvia, you had me LOL. I'm sure your voice is lovely. Also, interesting point about Daddy sitting in a chair eating cookies while you toil. Women do seem to bear the brunt of all the preparations. Be sure to book a spa day for yourself soon, so someone can pamper you!

KJ Howe said...Cath's Chatter, I'm getting the feeling that you might like wine...hmm, red or white???

LOL...I actually DON'T drink very often but when I do its the bubbly stuff!!!Didn't have wine in the end, I opted for Irish coffee's mhmmmGoing to the family Christmas lunch in a few hours with approx 50 others, therefore a small amount of alcohol is a necessity!!!

We Celebrate on the actual day around here. IF I have Christmas Eve off, we try to have a quiet dinner at home, listen to carols on the radio, (we have a lovely CD full of carols sung by my daughter that she and my hubby recorded over a few years) and drink some wine.

But, alas, the life of a nurse requires I take my turn on the holidays, so tonight my hubby will be home with my son while I toddle off to work. I'll take my homemade cheeseball and fresh cranberry/pecan/chickensalad for the girls to munch on and we'll pray we have no business tonight!

Well since most of the family lives on the east coast we will be Skype'ing them later on this eveing. My Mom (who lives with me),and I just got back from braving the crazy shoppers...OMG!!!! And the only reason we went out was because one store left Ink tags on two of the shirts we bought for my son..Crazy!Tonight we will have French toast and hopeful NOT watch It's a wonderful life for the 10th night in a roll...(my mom is in love with that movie)...Oh and I'll be making fudge so that will be nice and YUMMY..then when the kids are all asleep I'll put the presents under the tree and hang the stockings with care knowing the fat lady has been there...LOL*★MERRY*•˚° ★。 ° ˛˚˛★* •。* •。° 。* ˚*•★*CHRISTMAS★ 。*˚° 。 ° ° 。.°˛˚* _Π_____*。*˚° 。 ° ˚*˚° • 。 ° ˛˚*˚° • 。 ° ˛˚˚ ˛˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ° 。• ° ˛˚˚° 。 ° ˛˚˛˚˚° 。 ° ˛˚˛˚ ˛˛ ˚ *｜田田｜門｜ ˚˚˚° 。 ° ˛˚˛˚*And Happy New Year*

today we ar e making pies and spending time with one another special visist from family house to another and we just mayhave a christmas baby in the mix my sisters 6th and final child could make an apperiance tonight if not tonight then on the 3rd shes so excited like the rest of us are for her arriaval christmas for us we are all about family not so mcuh gifts tho we may let the lil one sopen apresent later on this evening never know whats in store christmas time is full of miracles

Our son John is home (a Marine in CA) for Christmas. Our other son is also here and we have a Christmas Eve supper of sandwiches, chips and dip, cheese and crackers with strawberry pop. (That's a tradition of my husband's family along with eating by candlelight.)

It is snowing here quite heavily; we've had 7 inches in the last 20 hours and it's showing no signs of letting up. I love snow, but just hope we can travel an hour north to my sister's tomorrow. I made cheesy potatoes and shortbread, but have no meat if we end up getting stuck at home!

P.S. Church services are at 10 tonight and it is always so beautiful singing Christmas hymns by the light of the church's Christmas tree lights. We hold lit candles and stand in a circle around the sanctuary to sing "Silent Night" before the end of the service.

PinkPeony, we used to have big gatherings like that. My grandfather lived with us, so all my cousins came to our house. We regularly had 17 for Christmas dinner, and I loved it.

My mother's cousin had grown up in my grandparents' family, so she and her husband came every Christmas Eve for a couple of days. I remember sitting on my parent's couch, watching out the window for the car, and fidgeting.

Danielle, the dh is looking forward to that marathon of A Christmas Story. We've discovered that one of our favorite Asian places will be serving tomorrow, and we're thinking of having dinner there since our turkey meal will be tonight.

My children our grown so it's a quiet time for us. We like to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. When the children were younger they got to open up two presents - one was pajamas and the other would be something small like crayons or a book - something to keep them busy. I always save the day/night before Christmas wrapping presents and listening to Christmas carols too!.

The only traditions we have is we go to my sister's house for dinner and opening gifts. It is usually a late night but we did it early this year because of the bad weather coming our way. We just got home a little while ago.

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